ARCHITECTURE

SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT

SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL CIRCUITSHANGHAI, CHINA

China’s overall growth has had also a positive impact on how motorsports is perceived in the country, moving it into the focus of public attention. Calls for a Chinese, world-class race track quickly grew louder – and Tilke was up for the task. A look at key parameters already shows that the Shanghai race track has taken Chinese scales and dimensions well into account: The stands along the 5.5 km long circuit can cater for up to 200.000 spectators. The top speed of nearly 330 km/h has also a record-breaking tendency. It becomes more than obvious that the Shanghai International Circuit is entitled to hold a Grade 1 FIA homologation (and the plenty of highlights of the circuit can confirm this).

The 5.5 kilometre racing track is shaped like the Chinese character ‘shang’, which stands for ‘high’ or ‘above’. Other symbols represented in the architecture originate from Chinese history, such as the team buildings arranged like pavilions in a lake to resemble the ancient Yuyan-Garden in Shanghai. Here, nature and technology are carefully used to create harmony between the elements.